Why isn’t every house a passive house? By Lauren Thomsen
Apart from a few states leading the country with energy codes and standards that push high-performance design, passive house strategies are not yet widely used in construction. This is disappointing but understandable: most building projects are funded by private investments without a generous ‘research & development’ budget, and there is significant financial risk associated with any building project. Furthermore, many building projects are single family homes with conservative investors.
But our homes are the most important spaces in our lives – arguably where we should want to make the most investment. Far more than shelter, our homes are integral parts of familial life that reflect cultural, social and moral values. We rely on these spaces in our daily routines, and they are the settings for most intimate relationships. Given our knowledge of energy use, the climate crisis, and available technology, why aren’t more homeowners investing in sustainable building strategies above code minimum? Why isn’t every house a passive house? Why isn’t high performance building the norm?
High performance design is not yet the norm because it remains an optional upgrade, and delayed gratification (in the form of future energy savings and a better world for future generations) can be difficult to sell, particularly when there are additional upfront costs. More importantly, with a financial barrier to entry not everyone who would like to implement high performance strategies can afford to invest in going above and beyond the minimum required.
Policy changes, through more stringent building and energy codes which provide the minimum acceptable level of energy efficiency, are the most efficient way for us to make large strides and improvements on energy use in the built environment. Buildings use 37 percent of the total energy use in the United States, and account for 33 percent of all US carbon dioxide emissions, creating enormous potential for improvement. Recently there have been exciting policy changes in Massachusetts, California, and New York – states that have historically been led the way in energy efficiency policy. Massachusetts recently passed robust air sealing and fresh air requirements for both new construction and renovations. In 2023, New York passed the All-Electric Buildings Act which was the first statewide ban on natural gas in new construction. Several states have adopted building performance standards that have energy use and emissions ceilings and for the first time implemented financial penalties for not meeting criteria. Many of these are policies currently focus on large buildings, but like the dissemination of technology and innovation, we can expect such policies to impact more states and eventually the entire residential sector in the coming years.
Metrics and certifications aside, homes and buildings built to a passive house or similar standard are ultimately going to be appreciably more comfortable and healthier to live in. A central tenet of passive house construction is the sealing of the building envelope, both to control thermal transfer and to control and improve indoor air quality. With the unprecedented wildfire seasons of the past few years, air quality suddenly is something we can no longer take for granted. Similarly, as electricity prices continue to skyrocket, high performance homes are less impacted. Should there be a loss of power, a high-performance home can function on very little backup energy. Another wonderful by-product of a super insulated building envelope is acoustic isolation, which in any dense urban environment is a major benefit. Overall, these projects are far more resilient and better investments in the face of a climate crisis that may impact our energy sources, air quality, and daily life in many ways.
Designing and building to passive house standards is an excellent way to ensure that a home or project will be extremely energy efficient, even if certification is not a goal. Energy efficiency strategies do not have to be all or nothing – every project requires a contextual evaluation of which strategies are most appropriate and will yield the most gains. In my home, a renovated mid-century modern ranch with far more glazing than would ever allow for passive house certification, my husband and I have incrementally made the improvements we can, beginning with new high-performance windows and doors that are well sealed, and later adding additional insulation on the roof and in crawl spaces. When the oil furnace had to replaced, we opted instead for a variable speed high efficiency heat pump with a propane back up. In the future, we hope to install a photovoltaic array on the roof.
Moving the needle in the industry will require both collective and individual action. I believe the most important thing we can do is remember that high performance building strategies are worth the investment and will eventually become the norm. We need to continue to educate ourselves about new innovations and technologies as they become available and more ubiquitous, and responsibly ‘push the envelope’ in each specific project we undertake.
www.laurenthomsendesign.com
Lauren Thomsen Design is a Philadelphia-based design practice dedicated to delivering high-performance, design-driven projects through technical expertise and a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach. The firm works across new construction and renovations. Each project reflects a strong commitment to energy efficiency and environmental responsibility, paired with a modern, restrained aesthetic.